In a vehicle, the retraction of the steering wheel may be useful as it provides more room for the driver. Such retraction of the steering wheel will be especially useful to the driver when driving is not required.
A non-driving period is a period in which a driver does not control the vehicle. An example of such a non-driving period is an autonomous driving mode. An autonomous vehicle is one which is capable of sensing its environment and able to operate the vehicle safely without the need for human input. It is envisioned that such vehicles will be capable of transitioning to and from an autonomous driving mode and a manual driving mode, in which a driver manually operates the vehicle. It is further envisioned that such autonomous driving may only be allowed on preapproved or certified roads or zones.
While in an autonomous driving mode, a driver of a vehicle may engage in activities which may not be possible while the vehicle is in a manual driving mode. Examples of such activities are resting, working or using multimedia applications. Thus, the added room and comfort provided by the retraction of the steering wheel may be beneficial in an autonomous driving mode or during non-driving periods in general.